ambassador to libya, chris stevens, had gone to benghazi to establish a cultural center and help modernize a hospital. >> today we must declare that this violence and intolerance has no place among our united nations. >> reporter: it's still unclear what motivated the terrorist attack, but president obama focused on that anti-muslim video made in california, explaining why the u.s. can't and won't ban a movie that mr. obama himself described as "crude and disgusting." >> i know that not all countries in this body share this particular understanding of the protection of free speech. we recognize that. but in 2012 at a time when anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with a click of a button the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete. >> reporter: a lot has changed since this group of leaders met a year ago. egypt and tunisia have held free elections. libya's dictator moammar qaddafi was deposed and killed. but the president argued today those countries cannot achieve democracy without embracing freedom of expression. >> as president of o